Francis Collins Nominated To Head NIH

On Wednesday, July 8th, 2009, President Barack Obama announced that he would nominate geneticist Francis Collins as head of the National Institutes of Health.

“Dr. Collins is one of the top scientists in the world,” said Mr. Obama.  “His groundbreaking work has changed the very ways we consider our health and examine disease. I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead.”

From Collins’ well known credentials, to his equally well known spiritual side, it is clear President Obama has made a wise decision in allowing Collins this opportunity.

Collins has worked with the NIH for the past 16 years, and knows the organization inside and out.  He came to the NIH in 1993 to start his research on the Human Genome Project by directing the National Human Genome Research Institute.  In 2003, his efforts were paid off when he and his team successfully sequenced the entire genetic blueprint of humans.

Through this, Collins has been essential in discovering genes linked to cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington’s disease, an endocrine cancer syndrome, and “adult onset” (type 2) diabetes.

Collins resigned his position as head of the genome project last year, but he has continued to work closely with the team since then.  He also has a book due out next year that will certainly be worth the read: The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine.

NIH describes itself as “the steward of medical and behavioral research for the nation. Toward that end, it funds science on site and in labs around the nation “in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.”

The nominee also has a renowned spiritual side, something Collins described in his 2006 book: The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.

A number of organizations have already praised Collins’ nomination. Among them: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Washington, D.C.

“This is a terrific nomination,” said AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner, in a brief statement this afternoon. “Dr. Collins has the scientific stature to sit at the table with the nation’s top scientists, and he has the additional ability to discuss science in very clear ways with both the public and policy makers.” Leshner added that it also doesn’t hurt ”to have a very credible geneticist heading NIH at a time when we are pursuing so vigorously the promise of personalized medicine, based on genomics.”

Though I’m sure you are quite familiar with my stance on religious beliefs, I still must commend Obama nominating a religious scientist in the hopes that perhaps Mr. Collins can reach out to those religious people who fall victim to the anti-science mentality.

Tags: Biology, Francis Collins, Genetics, Genome, God, Human Genome Project, National Institute of Health, NIH, Politics, religion